5. For how many years have you been professionally involved with maps?

Response Percent

Response Total

0 to 4

12.9%

8

5 to 9

32.3%

20

10 to 19

32.3%

20

20 to 29

14.5%

9

More than 30

4.8%

3

-------------

0%

0

Not applicable

3.2%

2

Total Respondents

62

(filtered out)

260

(skipped this question)

1

6. In general, how do you rate the design of maps made today?

Response Percent

Response Total

Very bad

0%

0

Bad

12.5%

7

Adequate

50%

28

Good

35.7%

20

Very Good

1.8%

1

Total Respondents

56

(filtered out)

237

(skipped this question)

30

7. Compared to manual maps made twenty or thirty years ago, how do you rate the design of digital maps today?

Response Percent

Response Total

Much worse

1.8%

1

Worse

39.3%

22

About the same

21.4%

12

Better

23.2%

13

Much better

14.3%

8

Total Respondents

56

(filtered out)

236

(skipped this question)

31

8. Do you think map design will generally get worse or better in the next 10 to 20 years?

Response Percent

Response Total

Get worse

16.1%

9

Stay the same

14.3%

8

Get better

69.6%

39

Total Respondents

56

(filtered out)

236

(skipped this question)

31

9. For much of the twentieth century, maps designed in North America and Europe often looked different from each other. Is this still the case today?

Response Percent

Response Total

Yes

28.6%

16

Yes, but not so much

60.7%

34

No

10.7%

6

Total Respondents

56

(filtered out)

219

(skipped this question)

48

10. According to a popular definition, cartography is a discipline that combines art and science. Looking broadly at the profession today, how would you rate this balance?

Response Percent

Response Total

Entirely art

0%

0

More art

12.5%

7

Equal art and science

17.9%

10

More science

67.9%

38

Entirely science

1.8%

1

Total Respondents

56

(filtered out)

236

(skipped this question)

31

11. In your experience, how unusual is it for a cartographer to have both design and technical ability?

Response Percent

Response Total

Very rare

7.1%

4

Rare

23.2%

13

Sometimes

39.3%

22

Common

26.8%

15

Very common

3.6%

2

Total Respondents

56

(filtered out)

235

(skipped this question)

32

12. Nature vs. nurture: both natural aptitude and education are factors determining whether a person is good at map design. Which do you consider most important?

Response Percent

Response Total

Entirely aptitude

0%

0

More aptitude

32.1%

18

Equal aptitude and education

32.1%

18

More education

32.1%

18

Entirely education

3.6%

2

Total Respondents

56

(filtered out)

237

(skipped this question)

30

13. If you HAD to hire someone to design custom maps for a magazine like National Geographic and the choice was between a GIS specialist with no graphical experience and a graphic designer with no GIS experience, whom would you choose?

Response Percent

Response Total

GIS specialist

35.7%

20

Graphic designer

64.3%

36

Total Respondents

56

(filtered out)

235

(skipped this question)

32

14. Is map design a mature field with little room for innovation or do new design techniques still await discovery? Rate the likelihood for future map design innovation:

Response Percent

Response Total

Very unlikely

1.8%

1

Unlikely

16.1%

9

Likely

44.6%

25

Very likely

37.5%

21

Total Respondents

56

(filtered out)

237

(skipped this question)

30

15. Do you make maps?

Response Percent

Response Total

Yes

89.3%

50

No

10.7%

6

Total Respondents

56

(filtered out)

237

(skipped this question)

30

16. How do you rate yourself as a map designer?

Response Percent

Response Total

Bad

0%

0

Not so good

6.8%

3

Average

43.2%

19

Pretty good

43.2%

19

Excellent

6.8%

3

Total Respondents

44

(filtered out)

207

(skipped this question)

72

17. What has influenced your development as a map designer?

Not important

Somewhat important

Important

Response Average

Cartography classes

17% (8)

20% (9)

63% (29)

2.46

GIS classes

24% (11)

52% (24)

24% (11)

2.00

Art/Design classes

36% (16)

44% (20)

20% (9)

1.84

Self taught

4% (2)

24% (11)

72% (33)

2.67

Internship/apprenticeship

28% (13)

30% (14)

41% (19)

2.13

A mentor

34% (16)

28% (13)

38% (18)

2.04

Work experience

4% (2)

9% (4)

87% (41)

2.83

Professional outreach (conferences, online forums, etc.)

17% (8)

46% (21)

37% (17)

2.20

Total Respondents

47

(filtered out)

222

(skipped this question)

54

18. Do you seek advice from others when designing maps?

Response Percent

Response Total

Never

2.1%

1

Not often

10.6%

5

Sometimes

48.9%

23

Very often

27.7%

13

Always

10.6%

5

Total Respondents

47

(filtered out)

222

(skipped this question)

54

19. Have you ever submitted a map to a design contest?

Response Percent

Response Total

No

70.2%

33

Yes

10.6%

5

Yes, and won an award

19.1%

9

Total Respondents

47

(filtered out)

220

(skipped this question)

56

20. Looking beyond maps, how do you rate your ability in the broader field of graphic design?

Response Percent

Response Total

Bad

0%

0

Not so good

10.6%

5

Average

51.1%

24

Pretty good

36.2%

17

Excellent

2.1%

1

Total Respondents

47

(filtered out)

222

(skipped this question)

54

21. When making a map, how closely does your initial concept (minds-eye view) match the final design?

Response Percent

Response Total

Never

0%

0

Not often

8.7%

4

Sometimes

26.1%

12

Very often

63%

29

Always

2.2%

1

Total Respondents

46

(filtered out)

220

(skipped this question)

57

22. On a typical map project, about what percentage of the total project time do you devote to map design?

Response Percent

Response Total

Little or none

0%

0

5 percent

4.3%

2

10 percent

17%

8

20 percent

19.1%

9

30 percent

17%

8

40 percent

10.6%

5

50 percent

10.6%

5

60 percent

6.4%

3

70 percent

10.6%

5

80 percent

2.1%

1

90 percent

2.1%

1

100 percent

0%

0

Total Respondents

47

(filtered out)

219

(skipped this question)

57

23. When making a map, to what extent do you integrate design with other mapping tasks such as research, compilation, and production?

Response Percent

Response Total

Completely integrated

25.5%

12

Mostly integrated

38.3%

18

Sometimes integrated, sometimes separate

31.9%

15

Mostly separate

4.3%

2

Completely separate

0%

0

Total Respondents

47

(filtered out)

220

(skipped this question)

56

24. Looking at one of your typical map projects from start to finish, when does most design effort occur?

Response Percent

Response Total

Beginning

8.5%

4

Middle

0%

0

End

21.3%

10

Beginning and end

27.7%

13

Throughout the project

42.6%

20

Total Respondents

47

(filtered out)

219

(skipped this question)

57

25. Of the maps you make, how many are custom designed versus made to already existing design standards or from default software settings?

Response Percent

Response Total

Entirely custom

14.9%

7

Mostly custom

23.4%

11

Both custom and standardized

46.8%

22

Mostly standardized

12.8%

6

Entirely standardized

2.1%

1

Total Respondents

47

(filtered out)

221

(skipped this question)

55

26. Does software influence map design?

Response Percent

Response Total

Not often

8.5%

4

Sometimes

55.3%

26

Very much

36.2%

17

Total Respondents

47

(filtered out)

221

(skipped this question)

55

27. Not every map can be a design masterpiece. What factors LIMIT the quality of maps you design?